Wolves chief Steve Morgan flies in as Alan Curbishley tops list

Owner Steve Morgan jets back from holiday today to take charge of a Wolves manager hunt he hopes to complete by the weekend – as Alan Curbishley emerged as a clear favourite.

Morgan, who was on a skiing trip when Sunday's fateful events led to his pulling the trigger on Mick McCarthy's five-and-a-half-year Molineux reign, will be updated by chief executive Jez Moxey on the candidates lining up to fill the breach.

But the club do expect to conduct interviews of their favoured few by Friday in the hope that the new boss can have a full week to prepare for the trip to Newcastle and the start of the club's 13-game bid for survival.

Morgan and Moxey will meet their men in a secret location, away from Molineux, but suggestions that they have already whittled down the candidates to Curbishley, Warnock and Bruce – all former Premier League bosses – are wrong.

Curbishley, who has topped fans polls since McCarthy's exit on Sunday including pulling in a hefty 39 per cent of more than 7,100 fans in an online vote, does have an admirer in Morgan and IS high on Wolves' checklist.

But the club are less enthusiastic about Bruce and Warnock following their sackings from Sunderland and QPR respectively this season.

Wolves are focused primarily on choosing a man to lead the team out of their current relegation peril and as some names fall by the wayside, others bid for backing.

Popular former captain Paul Ince, whose initial managerial path has been blighted ever since his Premier League chance at Blackburn, is among them having indicated that he would relish the 13-game challenge to reach safety.

"Paul would love the opportunity to show what he can do," said a source close to the man who was McCarthy's main rival for the job in 2006. "A big part of his football heart is still at Wolves."

Chris Hughton effectively ruled himself out of the running for the vacancy today after he revealed he was keen to see out the season with Birmingham City.

The Blues boss was considered an outsider for the Molineux hot-seat having done an impressive job at St Andrew's against a backdrop of uncertainty with the club's ownership following relegation.

He said: "I have a very challenging job to do here at Birmingham and I've got a group of lads who want to do well this season and I want to guide them through," said Hughton.

"Can I rule myself out? I am desperate to guide this group of players right to the end, so yes. It is always flattering to be linked with jobs but I've seen three names mentioned so I presume that is where it is going and I hope they pick the right person."

See also:

• Jez Moxey eyeing short-term fix for Wolves

• Alan Curbishley is Graham Turner’s choice to revive Wolves

• Mick McCarthy leaves Wolves with head held high